I really mean it when I say, I think 2018 was easily the best year ever at Pepper Street Poker!
I say this not only because PSP facilitated my once in a lifetime World Series of Poker Main Event experience, where I cashed for $15,000 - but because the year was filled with wonderful moments of camaraderie and fellowship - with both new and longtime players alike.
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| Easy Game |
As you can see, this game has really started to pay off financially, for a bunch of us!
But even better, running a successful home game for over a decade has really started to pay dividends emotionally - I get choked up even right now just writing about all the great times. A highlight for sure was our very own Main Event!
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| Inducting the PSP Legacy Hall of Fame Inagural Class |
This event also drew 40ish players and was a great success - not least of all because it brought about the first inductees to the Pepper Street Poker Legacy Hall of Fame, just a little token of my appreciation for all of the great players who have in turn made this game the awesome thing that it is.
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| OG Hancock Park game crew - MIA Dan G. |
The Legacy Hall of Fame is an idea that goes back many years - but this being the 10th year of this blog (the game itself is actually even older) it seemed like a good time to bring it about. Read all about it's conception and execution here.
Legacy players will get a number of benefits in 2019 - the official details can be found here, but the cliff notes are -
- 15 minute grace period for on time bonus chips.
- Top 3 Legacy Players in points play Mega-Satellite as a free-roll.
- Automatically on the 'short list' for cash games and smaller tournaments.
- Automatic attendance bonus chips in the TOC (if they qualify)
- The top Legacy player in points who doesn't win a tournament - goes to the TOC.
- If any player collects 4 Legacy bounties - they get their buy-in back immediately!
- Starting in Dec 2019, last Legacy player standing gets their buy-in back if no one busts 4 Legacy players.
And finally in 2018, we had quite a battle for the newly re-instated Player of the Year title.
This guy was leading all year long...
And then with an improbable 3 outer on the river in December, this guy snatched away that lead.
What a rollicking roller coaster!
The top ten was as follows -
I actually was on top but I'm ineligible as host as I have an attendance advantage even though we count only the best 8 scores, it means I have more low scores to discard.
- Ken
- Ian
- Barbara (Did not win a tournament! Impressive!)
- Jerry
- Nick
- Mike P.
- Colin
- Dog
- Andrew
- Eric L.
Well done y'all! Click here to go to the spreadsheet and see everyone's results.
As for the TOC, it's happening at the end of January, Saturday the 26th at 5pm. Here's the line up and the starting stacks -
Chip stacks vary a little bit because there are attendance bonuses and also bonuses for winning more than one tournament. Ken also got a bit for for being Player of the Year. Click here for all the deets.
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| 2018 TOC Winner & June |
Nick B. - 40K - Bonus chips were earned for winning a second tournament and attending more than 5 tournaments during the year. He just missed out on an 8th tournament which would've kicked his starting stack up to 45K.
Nick is one of the more ferocious players in the garage, which is tempered a bit by his warm demeanor and self-deprecating humor. Yes, he's a beast on the felt, but we put up with him because he nice enough.
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| January & September |
Jerry - 45K - Bonus chips are for attendance and 2 tournament wins.
Jerry scared us a bit this year, both because he was tearing it up at the tables and because he had a couple of medical emergencies that were most unwelcome. Here's to a brighter 2019 Jerry, so glad you are back in action!
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| February & August 10 Year Anniversary |
Ian - 45K - Bonus chips are for attendance and 2 tournament wins.
2018 was the year of the Ian - his unassuming play belied a capability heretofore unknown, by this opponent at least - the man can bluff! And, most importantly, does so effectively. Well played this year sir! Also of equal import, Ian often sticks around after busting to help deal and lend moral support; both gestures are greatly appreciated.
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| March Omaha & WSOP ME Satty |
Chris - 45K - Bonus chips are for attendance and 2 tournament wins.
Chris is a bit of a dick-hole, but he does make the trains run relatively on time around here so we'll let it slide. Chris did have a great year, not because he luck boxed a couple of tournaments and found himself somehow in the Main Event at the WSOP, but because he found himself blessed with a great crew of players that keep coming back again and again.
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| May |
Emanuel - 35K - Bonus chips are for attendance.
We saw a lot less of Emanuel this year for some reason - so he''s going to have to do a bit of climbing to catch up with some of the bigger stacks. Fortunately for him he is more than capable.
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| WSOP Satty |
Always a threat, Jason will join us in January and no doubt have everyone walking on eggshells because of his hair trigger temper and overall grumpiness.
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| July Main Event & December |
It looked like Ken was going to miss out on bonus chips for his attendance, but his clinching of POY puts him right in line with the biggest stacks. Watch out for Keeeennnnyyyy! (Say it like Cartman says Kitty in South Park).
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| October |
A poker game is always better with Andrew in the heezy, but not because he's an easy opponent. Watch out when he gets chips!
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| November H.O.R.S.E. |
Eric finally snagged his first tournament win at PSP, I say finally even though he's only played in the garage for 3 years now - it just seems like he's already won a few of these! Even better, he took the HORSE title. Noice!
Yes, you see correctly, there are more seats to come! Our Mega-Satellite will be awarding them come January. They will start the TOC with a stack equivalent to the shortest stack - 35K. But one player in the Mega, the chip leader at the Mega's conclusion, will start the TOC with 40K!
Seat winners will have another 5K added to their TOC stack IF they have played in 8 or more tournaments in 2018.
The Mega-Satellite for the TOC will take place on the same day, starting at 11am and we will award 3 seats (it could be more if attendance goes up).
Barbara, Colin and Mike P. are free-rolling, for everyone else the entry is $50.
So that's it for a recap of 2018 - what's on tap for 2019?
Glad you asked!
Legacy Continues
First, there's the aforementioned benefits for Legacy players. The plan is to induct 12 more players in 2019. As always, remember that if you don't get picked it's not because I don't love you or you mean any more or less to the game - I have a ton of folks to get through and I plan to induct almost all of them. If you aren't in in 2019 you most likely will be in 2020!
The big benefit for everyone to remember - bust 4 Legacy players and you get your buy-in back, paid to you immediately! Of course this likely won't be a factor for most of 2019 as there are only a few Legacy players at the moment, but by the end of the year there will no doubt be some Legacy hunters among us!
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| In the cross-hairs! (It's a metaphor, don't get nutty on me). |
Early start!
In 2019 ALL Saturday Monthly Tournaments will start at 5pm instead of 7pm! The structure will be similar, but I am flattening it a bit and then adding a big blind ante post break to offset the flattening. We should be ending around 11pm instead of the usual 1am.
Here's the new structure - effective as of 1-1-19.
20K to start, 20 minute levels.
25/50
50/100
75/150
100/200
150/300
35 Minute Dinner Break - 25s Color Up
BIG BLIND ANTE IN PLAY - Always the same size as the big blind, always the big blind is posted first.
200/400
300/600
400/800
600/1200
800/1600
10 Min Break - 100s & 500s Color Up
1000/2000
1000/3000
2000/4000
3000/6000
5000/10000
8000/16000
10 Min Break - 1000s Color Up
10000/20000
15000/30000
20000/40000
30000/60000
50000/100000
80000/160000
NEW ENTRY FEE - $45 MANDATORY
All Saturday tournaments are now $45 - no option on the bounty unless your name is Barbara or Dan G. They are Legacy players who have literally never played the bounty game - they've been around for 10+ years, they get a pass. Everyone else does not.
If you forget your extra $5 the house will front you, once - but remind you that the tournaments are now $45. The bounty game now has a new wrinkle, and everyone needs to get on board.
NEW 1ST PLACE TROPHIES!
I've finally started to run out of the custom coins I had made years ago - so we're switching to new first place trophies - jumbo acrylic card protectors that are much more custom and relevant to each tournament - here's a sneak at January's trophy...
Dope right?
Each trophy has the month, and also follows the theme of the collectable chip for that tournament.
If you have never won a tournament before, or the last one you won was before the custom coins - you may also have a custom coin while they last, there's like 8 left I believe.
CHIPS, CHIPS and CHIPS!
Because it was such a roaring success, the tradition of monthly collectible chips will continue!
Here's a sneak peek at January's chippy. Made this several months ago before the whole song controversy.
All chips in 2019 will be dated. You can use CERTAIN 2019 chips to get into the 2019 TOC!
To get in to the TOC via chips - you need 8 points.
These chips are worth 1 point -
These chips are worth 2 points - (notice the non-holdem event chips!)
These chips are worth 3 points -
And this chip is worth a whopping 4 points!
However - the cash game chip is awarded to players who attend 5 cash games. Players may only collect 2 Cash Game chips per year. That means if you play in 10 cash games, good for you! You're in the TOC!
Of course otherwise you get into the TOC the normal way - you win a tournament or a seat in the Mega-Satellite. But if you're paying attention and read this blog and hold on to your chips - you could find yourself with a seat in our yearly championship!
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HOLDING ON TO YOUR CHIPS AND SHOWING THEM TO ME PRIOR TO THE TOC, EITHER SHOW THEM TO ME IN PERSON OR TAKE A PICTURE OF ALL THE CHIPS TOGETHER.
I WILL ONLY MENTION THIS SYSTEM IN THE BLOG - THIS IS FOR FOLKS WHO READ IT!
Now I wonder who is going to read down this far and take advantage of this chip system?!
Anyways, if you are still here - good on ya!
I'm very much looking forward to another great year; I don't know how it could be any better than 2018 was; but I'm sure it can be, even if I don't end up playing in the WSOP Main!
Right now I'm eyeballing Jan 5 as a possible date for our first monthly tournament - it's what the countdown is set to - I know this will be out of order a bit, the TOC isn't until the 26th, but otherwise I don't think we can have a January tournament. It is absolutely the busiest month for me work wise!
Stay tuned for the Evite, I will likely send it out next week.
Until then, peace and we out!
PS. Here's some pretty pics of chippies! I've got quite a few sets these days!
